Proximity
by Hope5683
Summary: "...he knows that I can't sleep without knowing if he's alright, and that I would stay awake forever if I knew it meant that I would be able to see him once again." Malink, One-shot. Malon's POV. R&R appreciated! :)


**Wrote this because I was feeling a little Malink :) This is actually my first Ocarina of Time fanfic, so let me know what you guys think of it. Thanks for reading!**

**Credit to vladimir-the-hamster for the cover.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda(sigh...)**

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~Malon~

Sometimes, when I wake, the other side of the bed is as empty as it was before I ever met him. And that used to worry me, because that meant there was a chance that I would never see him again. Any other girl would probably feel more complex emotions than sadness, though. Anger, abandonment, neglect. All these emotions are symptoms of what most people would feel in my predicament. But I know better than that.

Link, being as courageous as a hero should be, puts his life in danger every single day in order to make Hyrule a better place. But then, every night, when he could use a warm meal or a soft bed, he visits the ranch when daylight is nowhere to be found; when all the errands of his day are complete. But he only seems to arrive when the moon is well into the sky, as if he knows that I will be the only one awake to supply him with what he needs. Because he knows that I can't sleep without knowing if he's alright, and that I would stay awake forever if I knew it meant that I would be able to see him once again.

So that's what always happens; I feed him the leftover food that my father, Ingo, and I had that day. Then, when neither of us can hardly keep our eyes open, I offer him the only available bed that there is. The trouble is, however, the only spare bed in our small house is mine.

The first night, I remember, was a little awkward. I was up late because there was a full moon outside, and on those nights I like to sing the song that my mother taught me so long ago. After awhile, the clopping of a horse that approached me from behind interrupted my sound of silence, excluding my voice. I turned and saw the beautiful chocolate mare I once knew so well, Epona, along with a handsome green-clad man riding atop her back.

I was mad at him for making provide a late service, and for disrupting the time I felt closest to my mother. But despite those things, I still felt heat in my cheeks and a smile slowly grow on my face.

I've always been able to find myself forgiving him instantly. Especially when we are in close proximity, like we were that night. He just has that effect on me.

I kept Epona in the stable that night while Link and I came into the house. I offered the soup and bread that I saved for myself for lunch tomorrow. It wasn't much, or the best tasting, but he accepted it gratefully.

But when I told him that my room held the only bed available, he became a little uneasy. At this time he liked me, I could tell even then, because he was terrible at disguising his emotions. So his nerves weren't from the fact that he didn't want to share a bed with me, but it just was something he'd never done before; sleep in the same room as someone else.

I remember feeling so bad for him when I realized that. When I was younger, I always shared a room with my father. But Link never had any parents, or even sibling, to share a room with. He'd always been on his own.

It wasn't fear he was experiencing, though. If anything, it was happiness; it was as if someone had actually wanted to be with him for the first time. It was just strange to renovate a practice that he had come to learn so well. But he was undoubtedly fond with the idea of change by now; his entire life had been the subject of change ever since Navi came into his life.

I will never forget that night when he removed all his clothing, except his trousers in order to sleep in. His tan, muscular body molded by the goddesses took my breath away. But surprisingly, that's not what I noticed at first. Everywhere from his abdomen to his back was covered in pink scars, omitting a deep, red one that marred his lower back. He saw the worry in my eyes but tried to assure me that it wasn't a fatal injury or anything.

But he knew me better than to know I wouldn't just let it go. Only a little amount of blood was escaping the wound, and it looked as though it had been healing for a while, but I ran to the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth regardless. I ordered him to lie down on his stomach so I could hold the cloth to the deep cut. I could see him roll his eyes despite the poor lighting the lantern gave in my room, but he obeyed regardless.

"You worry too much, Malon," Link said while closing his eyes, obviously exhausted from his long day of hard labor. His muscles were tense from the thought of sharing a bed, but quickly became more comfortable as his head sunk into one of my pillows.

"I wish you would worry more," I whispered through a small smile as I noticed the smaller marks on his back. The pink scars shined in the dull glow of the lantern; especially the ones that were slightly raised, and may have even at one point been as deep as the one I am tending to now. It made me angry how he was willing to receive these permanent marks all over his body without any care for himself.

But this is where I differ from most girls. Most of them would remain angry, and refuse to understand why he would allow himself so much pain so carelessly. They would feel abandoned and neglected when they woke up and saw that he was gone. And I know him too well to feel the same things as they would.

He has an adventurous heart. The only way to fulfill the emptiness of his soul that no one could give him, including someone like me, is to risk his life everyday for the protection of others. He is like this, and always has been, because he was literally made to be so. It wasn't coincidence this courageous boy was born at the same time that Hyrule would need to hero. Nor was it coincidence that he, Ganondorf, and Zelda all have three triangles on their hands that indicate how their relation. He lives for the adventure; _craves_ it even.

And Link has always been one to keep promises. He kept the promise to himself and to all of Hyrule to save it, and every night he promises me that he'll return. He once promised me that when it's completely safe, he would take me out on Epona and run through Hyrule Field as fast as my heart desires.

Still waiting on that promise, every time I think about it, a stupid smile always seems to grow on my face. He just has that effect on me.

That first night we spent together was just the beginning of the story about our feelings for each other. I held that washcloth to his back for a while after he fell asleep, which he did so almost immediately. But now, every night, we hold our hands together with interlaced fingers as we lay down facing each other. He fights so hard to keep his eyes open, to watch me for as long as he can, but it's the only battle I know he'll ever lose. The exertions of running, exploring, and rescuing others have finally taken their toll on his robust body. He unwillingly closes his eyes, knowing that the next time they open, he will have to leave.

So sometimes, when I wake, the other side of the bed is as empty as it was before I ever met him. And I don't worry anymore, because I know that, somehow, despite what adventures or battles he will have to face that day, he promised he'd come back.

And he always comes back.


End file.
